Isaiah Stewart Recaps Recent Notre Dame Visit & More
The Notre Dame men’s basketball program hosted one of its top 2019 recruits this past weekend, but Isaiah Stewart may not have been the most important visitor on campus for the Irish.
The 6-foot-8, 245-pound power forward brought his mother to South Bend with him.
“It was her first time there and she definitely enjoyed it,” said Stewart. “She loved the atmosphere.
“It was good. The visit went good.”
Stewart said his mother enjoyed the culture of the school and Mike Brey’s program.
“Notre Dame is more like a family,” said Stewart. “She liked the fact that there are a lot of family friends and parents as well there. She got a chance to speak to some of the parents, moms and dads and families. She just liked the fact that Notre Dame embraces family.
“She loved Coach Brey. Overall, she thinks it’s a great place. She loved it. She had fun. She was there, clapping and cheering them on.”
Stewart, who has offers from schools like Notre Dame, Duke, Michigan State, Syracuse, Maryland, Georgetown, Texas, Virginia and Indiana among several others, said it’s “very important” that his family feels comfortable with his choice of college.
“My mom and dad are still kind of new to the process,” he acknowledged. “To see them enjoy it and see where I’ve come from personally as a kid and not expecting any of this and getting a chance to have my dad and mom travel with me to see these games and see where I might one day be playing college ball is great.”
Stewart is from Rochester, N.Y., but transferred to La Lumiere School in La Porte, Ind., which is less than an hour from South Bend. He was high on the Irish long before he made the move to the Midwest.
“Mike Brey and the coaches, they develop guys,” Stewart said of his interest in Notre Dame. “They work on their guys’ games and get them better and coach them really hard. I really like that. I feel like it’s a good program and fits what I do.”
More trips to South Bend are in Stewart’s future.
“For sure, I’ll definitely come back down and play some pickup with the guys. Elijah Burns played for City Rocks, so that’s my boy,” said Stewart, referring to his AAU program back East. “TJ Gibbs as well. I talk with some of the guys on the team and keep in contact.”
Stewart has another huge visit coming up in a few weeks.
“I’m heading down to Duke for their game against UNC at home,” he said. “It’ll be my first time down there. Of course, it’s a brotherhood over there. They always have the same coach with Coach K. He knows what he’s doing. They get their guys better. It’s a great place to be. The atmosphere is crazy as well. It’s a great coaching staff and they’re able to get you better and develop you.”
Stewart doesn’t have a timeline for a decision.
“Right now, I’m just focused on the high school season.”